How does work talk? It doesn't; you use your own voice – and can whisper, bellow or sing.
With a glaring lack of diversity in executive ranks, we must ask if there's a correlation between 'my work speaks for itself' and executive placements.
Many women I've coached shy away from self promotion. I recently attended a conference in India, and wanted to investigate cultural differences of Indian business women and other countries.
The responses were the same from everyone – 'my work results stand on their own merit' and 'my boss should be looking out for me – that's his (her) job.' Based on my work experience in North America, Europe and Asia, such comments are endemic among women.
No wonder there's a lack of women in executive positions, and large pay differences. The pay gap still exists and widens over time. If work speaks for itself, then work needs to increase the volume.
Equally troubling is the fact that women cast their fate to an organization or one person rather than build their network and ask for what they deserve. Placing your career – and future – in the hands of one boss is not a strategy – it's foolhardly and dangerous. Women often cultivate smaller networks that lack political muscle and influence, and can't produce any tangible benefits.
Honestly, if we don't promote our work, how does anyone know what we do? A recent research report from DDI suggests that women have failed to advance in senior management because they have lacked equal access to development (and subsequent experiences) to prepare them for the next level. Certainly, one of the reasons for not getting into these programs is their reluctance to build a strong profile and talk about accomplishments.
The lack of self-promotion can be exacerbated by language differences, the subject of Debra Tannen's book on language and gender and Edward T. Hall's books on language and culture. Women use an indirect communication style; talking around a subject, wanting to know more about the person before getting to the point. This indirect communication style changes across cultures, particularly in Asia, where indirect communication is often the norm, and Westerners just want 'the bottom line.'
Typically in the West, indirect communication style coupled with a lack of self-promotion is misinterpreted as weak leadership. When this happens, much work needs to be done to change perception. If not, both the individual and the organization lose
